Improvements to this type of ink stamp are disclosed in UK Patent Nos. GB 2226276, GB 2226985 and GB 2236981. Contents of the above patent documents are incorporated herein for reference purpose.
When such a prior art ink stamp runs out of ink, fresh ink is introduced directly onto the lower relief printing surface of the stamp. As it takes several hours before the newly-introduced ink is fully and evenly absorbed by the pre-inked stamp, when the stamp is applied on a substrate, e.g. a piece of paper, shortly after the stamp is replenished with ink, more ink than is desirable will be applied on the piece of paper. It is also found in practice that the existing method of replenishing ink to the stamp is cumbersome.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an ink stamp, an ink refill, and an ink stamp and ink refill combination, in which the aforesaid shortcomings are mitigated, or at least to provide a useful alternative to the public.